Pop Culture in the 20th Century (Part 8)

[tv star collector]

The Nineties

One of the biggest phenomena of the '90s was (and still is) The Simpsons, called the most
subversive cartoon since Jay Ward & Bill Scott's brilliant Rocky & Bullwinkle (which creator Matt
Groening readily admits was a big influence). The longest-running sitcom in TV history (animated
or otherwise) is now in its 19th season, with no signs of slowing down. (The unique thing about
the show is, unlike live-action family comedies, the characters never age. I guess that means
little Maggie will never speak and will forever be sucking on that pacifier!) To all those naysayers
who said it wouldn't last, I can only quote the medium's most celebrated underachiever, Bart
Simpson: "Eat my shorts!"

Speaking of television: cult favorites The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while both
critically acclaimed, high quality shows (i.e., well-written, well-acted, with good production values),
would not have made it on either of the three major networks, I don't think. Why? For the same
reason Star Trek's later spin-offs wouldn't have: the major net execs (ABC, CBS, and NBC)
simply don't take sci-fi/fantasy shows very seriously (with the possible exception of Rod Serling's
excellent Twilight Zone). Even Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories anthology series flopped.

The Movies: Animation on the Big Screen

1991: On Nov. 22nd, Universal releases the "American Tail" sequel, "Fievel Goes West," which
grosses $22 million. Linda Ronstadt again sings one of the songs. On the same day, Disney's
"Beauty and the Beast" becomes the first animated feature to top $100 million at the box office ...
and becomes the first animated movie ever to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award.

1992: Although it doesn't win the coveted Best Picture Academy Award, "Beauty and the Beast"
does win Oscars for Original Score and Best Song as well as a technical award. On Nov. 11th,
Disney releases "Aladdin," which goes on to win Oscars for Original Score and Best Song.
Highlight: the showstopper tune "Friend Like Me," with Robin Williams as the Genie (drawn in
the style of the incomparable Al Hirschfeld).

1993: On Oct. 22nd, Tim Burton's bizarre "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is released by
Touchstone and grosses $50 million, revitalizing stop-motion animation.

1994: In January, the WB Feature Animation division is formed. On June 15th, Disney releases
"The Lion King" and is rewarded with $309 million at the box office and Oscars for Original Score
and Best Song.

1995: On May 26th, Universal/Amblin releases "Casper," the first feature with a computer-
generated star. It grosses more than $100 million. On June 16th, Disney's "Pocahontas" debuts
in New York's Central Park for an audience of over 100,000. It goes on to gross more than $141
million. On Nov. 22nd, Disney releases "Toy Story." Seven years in the making, Disney and Pixar
teamed up to produce the first completely computer animated feature film, proving that CGI is a
mature medium ready for a substantial future.

Rounding out the decade: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Anastasia," "Hercules," "The Prince
of Egypt," "Mulan," "Stuart Little," "Tarzan," "The Iron Giant" and "The King and I."

Television in the Nineties

A few of the highlights include: Beverly Hills 90210 (an Aaron Spelling teenage nighttime soap on
Fox that would run for many years and make stars of Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Shannen Doherty,
Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, et al.), Evening Shade (a delightful laid-back ensemble comedy starring
Burt Reynolds and Marilu Henner), Eerie, Indiana (an odd little comedy-drama that only ran on NBC
for one season in prime-time but resurfaced on Fox's Saturday morning schedule), Disney's
Dinosaurs (a puppet comedy produced by Henson Productions' Creature Shop; it was conceived by
Muppet creator Jim Henson before his death and produced by his son, Brian).

Also: Frasier (Kelsey Grammer reprising his Cheers character), The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (a comedy-western and a personal favorite), The X-Files (Chris Carter's soon-to-become cult
favorite; said to have been inspired by Darren McGavin's old Kolchak: The
Night Stalker), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (a western starring Jane Seymour and Joe Lando), Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,
Touched by an Angel, Diagnosis Murder (starring Dick Van Dyke),
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess (a Hercules spin-off), Wishbone (a PBS series about a Jack Russell terrier who imagines he is various literary figures), 3rd Rock from the Sun (yet another wacky alien sitcom; this one starring John Lithgow), 7th
Heaven (with Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks), Spin City, Promised Land, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Suddenly Susan (with Brooke Shields in her sitcom debut), Everybody Loves Raymond (with standup comic Ray Romano; great show; another of my favorites).

And: King of the Hill (a sort of animated Andy Griffith with more of an edge; from the creator of MTV's Beavis & Butt-Head , Ally McBeal (a quirky comedy-drama starring Calista Flockhart), Buffy the Vampire
Slayer (which was much better than the campy Kristy Swanson movie of the same name; starring Sarah Michelle Gellar; created and produced by Joss Whedon), King of Queens (another favorite; starring comedian Kevin James), Felicity (a favorite teen-drama series starring Keri Russell), Charmed (an Aaron Spelling series about three sisters who happen to be
witches), Dilbert (cartoon based on Scott Adams' comic strip), Angel (a Buffy spin-off starring David Boreanaz), Family Guy (an animated comedy that was so risque that it made The Simpsons
look as tame as The Flintstones), and Roswell (another favorite sci-fi series; starring Shiri Appleby and Jason Behr; set in Roswell, New Mexico, where supposedly a U.F.O. landed back in 1947).

******************

As we geared up for the "Y2K" bugs (that never arrived), we could look back on a century that
gave us wars, a Depression, radio, motion pictures, television, jazz, rhythm & blues, the "big
band" era, rock 'n' roll, bluegrass music, space exploration, animation, comic strips and comic
books, the Olympics, the automobile, the airplane, assassinations, political scandals, etc. And,
oh, yes, the Internet.

And, if our Pop Culture -- our entertainment, in other words -- is often flawed and imperfect, perhaps
it's because it is merely a reflection of our flawed, imperfect world. For, in the final analysis, the
20th Century is but a mere chapter in the long, long story of mankind.

-- Karl Wilcox